Process for treating whale bone bristles



Patented Dec. 15, [1931 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE MAX DIEPOLD, OF MOSIBAOH/BADEN, GERMANY PROCESS FOR TREATING WHALE BONE BRISTLES;

No Drawing. Application filed June 28, 1929, Serial No. 374,614, and in Great Britain and Czechoslovakia February 4, 1929.

This invention is directed to a process for treating whalebone bristles to prevent their deterioration on exposure to moisture.

The practice of using whalebone bristlesas a substitute for the ordinary plant fiber bristles in brooms and the like is well known, the commercial advantage residing in the comparatively longer life of the whalebone bristles. Such whalebone bristles, however, suffer a disadvantage as compared with the plant fiber bristles under those conditions where the broom or other similar object is which is of particular character in that it I will not become brittle on drying.

I A particular varnish which may be admir-' ably used in connection withthe process is made by introducing into methyl alcohol, pinic acid resin and silvic acid and resin, and followingv thisocombination vesuvin is added. The resin referred to is rosin or colophony.

The whalebone bristles are treated by being saturated in this varnish or lacquer, and, following the saturation and drying of the bristles, they are non-receptive to ordinary moisture and hence articles employing such bristles may take the full advantage of the additional wearing qualities of the whalebone bristles over the plant fiber bristles no matter whether the articles are exposed to moisture or not. The lacquer varnish does not become brittle and therefore the whalebone bristles, when saturated with the varnish, do

to avoid a hardening or rigidity of the Whalebone bristles when dry, while at the same time protecting the whalebone against the absorption of moisture.

What is claimed to be new is:

A process for the treatment of whalebone bristles consisting in impregnating said not lose their inherent flexibility to any 3P,

preciableextent.

The process involves the provision of a particular v arnish -.or lac ,for the saturation of wholebone bristles, with the requirement that such varnish or lac be of a. character 

